Brake



y 1939. c. E. GREGORY 2,158,624

BRAKE Filed May 15, 1937 CHARLES E. GREGORY adjustable torque resistingmechanism for either for illustrative purposes. 5

: tive to the axis of a rotatable body and my in- IE serves to constrainthe tire to rotation con- Patented May 16, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE BRAKE Charles E. Gregory, Chicago, 111. Application May 1 5,1937, Serial No. 142,728

2 Claims. (01.188-136) This invention relates to a novel brakingsysnon-automotive installations. With this undertem adaptable to use inautomotive and other standing of the scope of usefulness of my inpowersystems either as a brake or as a clutch. vention, the followingdetailed description will It is an object of this invention to providean be generally confined to the specific form chosen resisting ortransmitting torque, as between a ro- In the drawing, a portion of aconventional tating member and a relatively fixed point on automobilerear axle system has been shown, its axis or between two relativelyrotatable memincluding a housing or tube In which carries a bers. I havechosen to illustrate my novel inspring seat supporting a vehicle springl2. A 10 vention as applied as an automotive vehicle brake drive or axleshaft l3 is journaled in the end 10 wherein my invention acts toadjustably retard of the tube on bearings l4 and carries a wheel therotation of the vehicle wheel at will. It will hub I5 keyed thereto onits outboard end, the be understood that torque is equivalent to the hubin turn carrying a wheel disc IS on which eccentric application of aweight or couple relais mounted a tire I! and its rim |8. The discvention comprises providing resisting eccentric centric to the axis ofthe drive or axle shaft force by causing an eccentric member to rotateregardless of the eccentric structure to be herewithin a resilientdisplaceable or compressible inafter described.

member which resists the rotation of the eccen- The brake of thisinvention is preferably aptric and thereby produces braking or clutchingplied within the space defined by the disc l6 and 20 torque. the rim l8,and comprises an eccentric member It is also an object of this inventionto provide l9 mounted on the axle tube or housing II] and an improvedand self contained braking or clutchclamped thereto in any suitablemanner as by a ing mechanism that can be simply operated in bolt 20drawing spaced ears |9a together. Roeither direction with equalefliciency. tatably mounted on the eccentric member I9 is 5 It is afurtther object of this invention to proa complementary eccentric or cammember 2| vlde an improved and simplified braking system the exteriorcylindrical surface 22 of which is that can replace existing mechanicalbraking sysdesigned to be concentric with the wheel and tems with agreat reduction in the force required axle axis when positioned on theeccentric or cam for brake application, member IS in a definiterelationship thereto. 30

It is a further important object of this inven- This complementaryeccentric member can be tion to provide an improved and simplifiedshifted from its concentric relationship with the braking system thatcan be economically manuwheel and axle by means of a lever 23 attachedfactured and installed and readily serviced by thereto and operated by abrake rod 24. The

unskilled labor. cylindrical outer surface 22 of the member 2| 35 Otherand further important objects of this incarries an anti-friction bearing25 surrounded in vention will be apparent from the disclosures in turnby a ring 26 cnsiderably smaller than the the specification and theaccompanying drawing. internal diameter of the tire rim 8, the spaceThis invention is illustrated in the drawing and so left being occupiedby a rubber ring 21 which hereinafter more fully described. may beconveniently retained in position by an 40 On the drawing: inturnedflange 28 forming part of the wheel disc Figure 1 is an axial sectionthrough a driving l6.

wheel embodying one form of the features of this In the operation of theillustrated form of my invention. invention, the tire rim, disc, andaxle are always 5 Figure 2 is a section on the line II-II ofFigconcentric with each other, and when the brake ure 1 showing parts inelevation the tire being is released the wheel is free to revolve withits omitted. driving axle. Under such conditions, the fixed Figure 3 isa section on the line III-III of and movable eccentric members l9 and 2|are Figure 1 showing parts in elevation with the brake positionedcomplementary to each other so that applied by rotation of the movableeccentric. the periphery 22 of the movable eccentric mem- 50 As shown Ihave chosen to illustrate my invenber 2| is concentric with the axle,and the beartion as applied to a driving wheel of an autoing 25, ring 26and rubber ring 21 are also conmobile, it being understood that theinvention is centric with the axle and hence offer no resistequallyapplicable to steerable wheel 6 and for ance to rotation of the wheel.use as a clutch instead of a brake, as well as in If this movableeccentric 2| is shifted from its 55 complementary position relative tothe stationary eccentric IS, the bearing and ring 26 are thrown out ofconcentricity with the wheel and axle and the ring 26 thereforedisplaces some of the material of the rubber ring 21 at the high pointof the eccentricity of the ringZG thus performing work on the rubber andproviding resistance to the rotation of the wheel, which resistance willbe proportional to the degree of eccentricity determined by the extentof angular displacement of the movable eccentric relative to itsposition complementary to the first eccentric. It will be evident thatthe bearing 25 protects the brake operating linkage from the resistanceset up in the wheel, and that the eccentric 2| can be shifted in eitherdirection to produce the braking effect, so that the brake can beapplied either with or against the braking torque, as may be desired.

It will be evident that my invention is equally suitable for use as aclutch yieldingly connecting two rotatable members, and that it hassimilar advantages for such use.

It will thus be seen that I have invented an improved and self-containedbraking mechanism that does not require excessive power to apply and iscapable of absorbing braking energy in proportion to the degree ofeccentricity without at any time being liable to rigid looking.

I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details ofconstruction may be varied through a wide range without departing fromthe principles of this invention and I, therefore, do not purposelimiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by theprior art,

I claim:

1. In combination with a member constrained to rotate about a fixedaxis, an eccentric member fixed relative to said axis, a movableeccentric member embracing said fixed eccentric member, said eccentricmembers being so proportioned that in one relative position theperimeter of the movable member is concentric with the fixed axis, meansfor shifting said movable eccentric member away from said relativeposition to produce eccentricity in the perimeter thereof, a rigid ringjournaled on said movable eccentric, and resilient means disposedbetween said rigid ring and the rim whereby said resilient means willhave internal work done thereon by the eccentricity of the perimeter ofthe movable member when so shifted from its position of concentricity.

2. A vehicle brake comprising in combination with a wheel and axle andaxle housing, the wheel having a concentric surface suitable for abrake, an eccentric member fastened to the axle housing, a complementarymovable eccentric cooperating with the first eccentric, brake operatinglinkage controlling the relative position of the movable eccentricrelative to the fixed eccentric, a rigid ring journalled on said movableeccentrio, and resilient means disposed between the rigid ring and theconcentric braking surface of the Wheel, whereby resultant eccentricityof the movable eccentric will distort the resilient means and therebyset up a retarding force on the wheel.

CHARLES E. GREGORY.

